As Americans give thanks this year, they should include lower food prices in their list of blessings. A record-breaking corn and soybean harvest and large global supplies of wheat have helped pull grain prices to multi-year lows, making most foods less expensive this season.

Low-cost grain especially helps lessen the price of most animal products, as livestock are widely fed a diet of corn and soybeans. Cattle, hog, and milk futures all recently dropped to the cheapest price in years. Meanwhile, less-traded, but still important, prices for eggs and poultry have been falling as well, making Thanksgiving meals more affordable this year, no matter what the family favorite dish is.

Prices are also being dragged lower by a strong U.S. dollar. A higher-value greenback makes foreign foods much cheaper domestically and also pushes prices for all goods down.

While inexpensive food is good for consumers, it also means that our food producers are facing some of the lowest incomes seen in years. So remember, when giving thanks for a hearty harvest, be especially grateful for those that brought it in from the field!

In recent weeks, prices for many agricultural commodities have begun rebounding, a sign that low prices may be stimulating demand, a move that will be a welcome relief to cash-strapped producers.

Industrial markets boom

Financial markets continued extending gains last week on the expectation that the Trump administration would increase government spending on infrastructure, increasing demand for raw materials.

Copper clattered to a 16-month closing high on Wednesday, while lumber, iron and steel rose as well. Meanwhile, U.S. stock markets continued gaining steam, with the S&P 500 and Dow Jones futures reaching all-time record highs this week.

However, political analysts note that there is a wide gulf between politicians talking about projects and implementation; should the plans fall short of expectations, many fear that the markets’ rapid climbs could turn into even fiercer declines.

Opinions are solely the writers’. Walt & Alex Breitinger are commodity futures brokers in Valparaiso, Ind. They may be reached at 800-411-3888 or indianafutures.com. This is not a solicitation of any order to buy or sell any market.